Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Dick Spring
Ceist:
16
Mr. Spring
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he is considering an extension of the free travel scheme to cater for isolated social welfare recipients in rural areas where there is no public transport infrastructure.
[24962/00]
Enda Kenny
Ceist:
21
Mr. Kenny
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will establish a social transport fund.
[25059/00]
Denis Naughten
Ceist:
27
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will extend the companion travel pass to cover a wider category of persons.
[25057/00]
Brendan Howlin
Ceist:
30
Mr. Howlin
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he has any plans to reduce the general age limit for free schemes, without a means test, below 75 years in view of the current average mortality rates for older citizens and older citizens complaints in this regard; and the cost of reducing the age limit to 72 years.
[24954/00]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:
40
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he has satisfied himself that the free travel scheme has assisted to help and encourage those eligible to remain active in their communities; the potential for innovative expansion of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25076/00]
John Browne
Ceist:
45
Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny)
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will change present regulations whereby a person on disability allowance is allowed the free schemes but a person on disability benefit is not, regardless of the length of time that person is on disability benefit.
[25080/00]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:
117
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the number of qualifying social welfare recipients that have availed of the Telecom Éireann offer of reduced rate telephone installations; the other measures that can be undertaken to encourage people to have a telephone in order to have a line of communication; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25343/00]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:
119
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the cost impli cation for his Department to include cable television in the range of free schemes available to social welfare recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25345/00]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
125
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the plans he has to extend the free telephone service to other categories of recipient; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25364/00]
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
126
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
if he will indicate the extent to which he will extend free travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25365/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 21, 27, 30, 40, 45, 117, 119, 125 and 126 together.
The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by semi-State companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnrod Éireann, as well as services provided by some 80 private transport operators.
The vast majority of these private contractors operate in rural areas. My Department is always willing to consider further applications from licensed private transport operators who may wish to participate in the free travel scheme.
A review of the free schemes was published in April this year by the Policy Institute, Trinity College Dublin.
The review considered the difficulties involved in access to public transport services and noted that there are two main groups affected: those who have a disability which prevents them using the service and those for whom a service does not exist, which mainly affects those living in rural areas.
This problem, which is unrelated to the free travel scheme, is part of a wider social and infrastructure problem, affecting all those who are disadvantaged and who can neither afford their own transport or avail of access to public transport.
The review notes that while my Department pays transport providers to operate the free travel scheme, it is not obliged to provide services where none exist, nor is it in a position to provide vehicles accessible to people with disabilities.
These are matters for the transport providers concerned and for my colleague the Minister for Public Enterprise who has responsibility for public transport.
The review of the free schemes does recommend that a social transport fund be supported and made available to voluntary and community based organisations for the provision of local transport initiatives that would be unlikely to operate without a subsidy. Such a fund would be mainly social in nature and could facilitate the provision of wheelchair accessible vehicles.
The review considered it appropriate that such a fund could be managed locally, perhaps by the local authorities, in view of their knowledge of local services and to maintain community autonomy.
Proposals to address the rural transport deficit are being considered further by the relevant Departments.
Surveys conducted as part of the review showed that there is overwhelming support for retaining the free schemes, including the free travel scheme.
It established that the free schemes are effective in the alleviation of poverty, in the promotion of social inclusion for those who are eligible and in need, and in assisting older people to remain active and independent in their own communities.
The free travel scheme, in particular, is seen by many as a recognition of older people's contribution to society.
With regard to free travel companion passes, these passes have been available since 1990 to certain people who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. The companion pass enables a person 16 years of age, or over, to accompany the pass holder free of charge.
The review examined the issue of extending the companion free travel pass scheme to other people with disabilities and noted that CIE has expressed concerns about the operation of the companion pass, in particular that anecdotal evidence would suggest that some pass holders are quite capable of travelling alone.
In this regard, the review notes that companion passes should be issued only to people who have definite needs.
In view of the free travel scheme's objective to encourage recipients to remain mobile, the review recommends that a free travel companion pass should be issued to all people in receipt of invalidity pension who are unable to travel alone. This would standardise the qualifying conditions for a companion pass for both invalidity pension and disability allowance.
People in receipt of long-term disability type payments are eligible for the free schemes.
Those in receipt of disability benefit do not qualify for the free schemes as this payment is generally short-term in nature. Those people who are in receipt of disability benefit for more than 12 months and who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible to transfer to invalidity pension which would entitle them to claim the free schemes.
The review recommended that the free schemes should not be extended to recipients of payments which are short-term in nature.
In Budget 2000, I extended the free schemes to all persons aged 75 years and over, regardless of income or household composition. It is estimated that extending the free schemes, on the same basis, to those who are aged 72 years and over could cost in the region of £8.5 million annually.
The review noted that, where payment levels are adequate, any extension of the free schemes must be based solely on increased social benefits that are over and above those which can be purchased by increased income.
Accordingly, the review concluded that the schemes should not be extended further to additional groups of people or to include other types of schemes.
With regard to the free telephone rental allowance, Eircom ran a promotion in 1996, with the co-operation of the Department, offering a reduced installation fee of £50 to 16,392 social welfare pensioners. This group was targeted on the basis of being in receipt of a living alone allowance but not in receipt of a free telephone rental allowance.
At the end of 1997, some 2,200 had availed of the offer and 1,962 had applied to the Department for a free telephone rental allowance.
The review considered that the Government's policy of care in the community should support measures to ensure that pensioners are not deprived of a telephone because of inadequate income or perceived fear of costs. In view of the increased revenue which would accrue to Eircom, apart from any social obligation, the review considered that Eircom could provide free installation to the remaining group of pensioners.
The review also examined the issue of extending the free schemes to include other items of expenditure, including the cost of cable television. The review considers that the schemes as currently constituted provide a basic package of necessary household benefits that ensure a limited standard of comfort or well-being to a particular targeted group.
It notes that it is not the business of this Department to provide for all socially desirable items of expenditure. The review recommended that no further goods and services be covered by the free schemes.
Following previous demands for concessions on the cost of cable television, my officials wrote to the cable company concerned bringing the demands for such concessions to their attention.
The report examines a large number of issues and requires detailed consideration.
I will carefully examine all the recommendations made in this report in the context of future budgets and available resources.
Question No. 17 taken with Question No. 12.
